Bonding bill will benefit Fergus Falls vets home

Published Thursday, April 17, 2008

We are thrilled with the approval of $2.7 million that was approved last week for the Fergus Falls Veterans Home special care unit addition.

This is a major step along the way in funding our $9.97 million dementia care project. Politics is people.

It is people making their sincere voices heard for something they believe in. There are many to thank that brought this victory for veterans. Sen. Dan Skogen sponsored a bill and personally took the leadership to give it life on the Senate side. Rep. Bud Nornes sponsored a bill and sheparded it through the House to keep it alive on the House side.

Laura Seleen (DON), Deanna Mounts (volunteer coordinator) and Gene Fahey (volunteer) gave convincing testimony to prove the need to legislators. Others like Bill Barbknecht, Tom Burau and Perry Sheldon added their own voices.

Gene Fahey personally went around to multiple veterans' and service groups and encouraged them to write letters of support which multiple ones (e.g. American Legion, DAV, VFW), did.

Many family and friends of the veterans home wrote letters, too. It is because of veterans supporting veterans, because of family and friends, because of volunteers, because of staff, because of legislators, and because the governor signed the bill, that we will be able to creatively meet the needs of our veterans into the future.

As my ancestors would say when their joy was great, “mange tusen takk” (many thousand thanks) from our veterans and staff.

Jon Skillingstad, Administrator MVH - Fergus Falls.